424 Chap. 29. .4.n Expofetion upon the Book of J O B. Veg. T. As if he had faicy; O that myfperit mere in as holy a frame as it was in the time of my profperity! O that Iwere as freeforgood, and had a heart as inlarged toward god,as whenGod preferveá me ; O that my mind were as fptritual,'ar4 the lightof my foul as clear, as when bit candlefhineá upon my head,andwhen bybit light I wal- ked4hrough darknefs, And fob had reafon romake fuch a wifh,be- caufe his friends charged him "that in his profperous ftace his mind wasvainly lifted up, tbaybe abufed his power, and oppreffed all that were near him ; O jr faith fob) that I were as in the former Months, Iwill)Iiad no a orfe a. frameofheart now, then when it .vas bell with me in the world, Icould wigs my heart were now as humble and as heave4 as it was when Iwas at my bighefl in earthly injoyments and,tbat I bad given nomore occafion of offence . fins n?ÿ aflebltomthen Ididbefore.1 hough every Godlyman gaines inG race, at the long run, or as to the iffue ofhis afllt ions ; yet his affi&ionmay for a time mucb,obfcure the beauty, and hinder s the prefent a&itrgs ofgrace. The Lard chafineth hts children for their profit; that they may be partakers of bis bolinefs (Heb, /2. ID.) yet while they are under chafinings, their participation of and.profitings in holinefs may not appear either to themfelves -or others ; and therefore the Apoftle adds (v, a t ,) Now, no chaflning for ¿be prefent feeweth to be joyous but greivous a never- theleffeafterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit ofrighteoufnefs to them that are exercifed thereby. As if he had Paid, this is one thing that makes chabnings fo greivous to good foules, that they have fo much adoe to keep their foules quiet and peaceable while they feel the fmart of the rod upon their backs. O how little of the peaceable fruits of righteoufnefs doe they thenbring forth l This fruit growes and (hens it felfaftorwards, or afterthey have been exercifed thereby; but while they are in the exercife,0 how fmall and fometimes nor at all difcernable is it ? thiswas (as 'cis con- Ceived) greivous to job in his chafinings, and provoked him to make this with, that it were with him, as to the fruitfulnefs of his foul in holnefs and"righteoufnefs, as it was when he `abounded in the fruits ofhis worldly felicity.This is an excellent fence,and carries the text clearly to s molt divine delire and holy with ; 'Tis lawful (as was (hewed before) to with and pray for our re- boring in remporals ; but to with and pray for our reboring in fpiricuals, the reflourifhingof our graces, and the renerrings of our
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